After school, the setting sun streaming through the window dyes my vision red as I lie slumped over my desk, unable to move. My heartbeat is so fast it's jarring. A leaden fatigue washes over my entire body. ...Not again. It's been over twenty hours since yesterday. There's no way I can tell anyone. That I'm under a ridiculous curse where I'll fall ill if I don't kiss someone once a day.

I clutch my chest, trying to steady my ragged breathing, but the unpleasant heat won't subside. My vision flickers and my thoughts become muddled. At this rate, I won't even be able to make it home. But there was no way I'd have a partner for this. I know the girls watch me from a distance. But not a single one of them ever crosses this wall, and I don't want them to either.

Just then, I hear lighthearted laughter and familiar footsteps approaching from the hallway. The man who is liked by everyone in class and is always at the center of attention. The one I'm worst at dealing with—him.